


The Reluctant Rose

by The_Leader_Of_The_Resistance



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Dangan Ronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
Genre: AU Haiji Towa, Alternate Universe, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Humor, Language, M/M, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:27:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27037165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Leader_Of_The_Resistance/pseuds/The_Leader_Of_The_Resistance
Summary: These feelings can’t be real...right?
Relationships: Towa Haiji/Kizakura Koichi
Kudos: 1





	The Reluctant Rose

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I made a Haiji x Koichi story!! And it’s written from Haiji’s perspective! It’s been ages since I got into his head. His new voice will take some time to get used to, but I’ll master it soon enough.

##  ** The Reluctant Rose **

“Damn. What’s taking him so long?” 

Tapping my foot restlessly, I stood in the middle of the sidewalk, waiting for Koichi to show up. He’d told me to meet him at our favorite bar so we could have some drinks and chat. But that was an _hour_ ago!

I huffed a frustrated sigh and smacked my forehead. I was both impatient and starving, and that combination alone sent my mood into a downward spiral. Fucking hell! If he didn’t show up in five minutes, I was going to march into the bar, stuff myself with three meals’ worth of food, and get the fuck out of here. 

“Hey, Haiji!” Koichi finally made it, perky as always. “I‘m impressed you’ve waited this long.”

I could feel a scowl coming along. How could he be this chipper about that? “I would have bolted sooner, but I promised I’d hang out with you today.”

“So you do care! I’m touched,” he jested, chuckling.

“It’s not that big of a deal.” I buried my hands in my jacket’s pockets. “Broken promises aren’t my thing. I’d keep promises for anyone.”

Koichi patted my back a little too hard for my liking. “Hey, flip that frown back to a smile! Drinks are on me! I’ll even pay for food.”

“Really?” I suppressed how overjoyed I felt deep inside. “Alright.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” He rubbed my back, his smile radiant.

Well, he eased my annoyance. His gentle caress soothed the rest of my stress as well. It was so…calming. Relaxing.

What the-?! Brushing that weird thought aside, I straightened myself and joined him at the bar. “Anyway, let’s head inside.”

Once we were at the bar, I ordered a stack of pizza slices to go with my beer. And when I say a stack, I mean a large stack. What did everyone expect? I didn’t have lunch thanks to work (a hellish day I sure as hell wanted to forget), so I deserved it. 

I rubbed my hands together and started devouring every slice. Koichi guzzled down his beer and took small bites of his own pizza. 

“Now that we’re here, we can get started.”

“Hmmmmmm?” I scarfed down my pizza, too preoccupied to speak.

“You know my buddy, Juzo, right?”

“Juzo Sakakura?” I asked with a mouthful. “The badass boxer I see on TV?” 

Koichi blinded me with his grin. “That’s the one. He’s invited us to his next match.”

I nearly choked on my pizza when he said that, I had to swallow and clear my throat. “Are you serious???” The sound of my voice humiliated me, I lowered my gaze. 

“Hey, no need to be ashamed. He’s a popular guy. Want to know the best part? We get front row seats!”

I cast him an astonished gaze. “Holy shit! Koichi, for once in your life, you’re amazing.”

“I wasn’t amazing when I offered you a one-thousand dollar gift card for Chocolate Heaven?” He faked his disappointment. “I had to be after you bought the shop’s entire stock that day.”

I scratched my prickly chin, not bothering to hide my smile. “Hmmmmm, good point.”

“This calls for a celebration!” Koichi lifted his mug. I followed his lead. “To our first boxing show!”

“Hell yeah!” _Clink!_

* * *

My mood crashed, even with all the food and beer I’d consumed. Maybe the celebration shouldn’t have involved alcohol, not where Koichi was concerned. His howls of laughter pounded in my ears like fucking drums, I was at risk of getting a headache. 

His words were slurred. “Come on, Haiji! Laugh a little!”

“The joke isn’t even that funny,” I hissed through clenched teeth, embarrassed and pissed. “Stop being a dumbass! You’re making me look bad.”

Everyone in the bar watched Koichi acting like a drunken idiot right in front of me, I yanked my hood over my face. This was so damn humiliating! How could I forget how much of a moron he could be after drinking too much? Bless my sense of responsibility whenever I drank. 

Enough was enough for one night. I removed my hood, hopped off the stool, and snatched his…sixth mug of beer? I didn’t remember anymore. Guy sure loved his alcohol.

“Alright, you had enough beer. Time to go home.”

I forced him off the counter, then looped his arm around my shoulders. Koichi’s goofy giggles caught the attention of the nearest couple, making me wince. Eager to get away from our “audience”, I darted to the exit and never looked back.

* * *

“Unbelievable,” I grumbled, taking the long walk to Koichi’s place. And gripping him by his arms, now dragging him along the way. “You just _had_ to get drunk on a night when I didn’t ride my motorcycle. Worse, you just had to stop _walking_ too.”

“Exercise is good for your health, so it’s all good,” Koichi advised dramatically, too intoxicated to care about anything.

“Shut the fuck up…” 

Adjusting my hold on his lazy ass self, I moved as fast as I could, muttering a storm of every curse word imaginable and privately venting out my frustrations. The sooner we were at his home, the better.

By the time we were at his modest house (a stark contrast to the luxury I was more fond of), I tossed him to his bed as if he were merely a rag doll.

He bounced on the bed. “Woooo!”

“Finally, you’re home.” I massaged my right shoulder, trying to rub away the cramp. At least my other shoulder was silver metal. Less discomfort for me.

“We should have a beer party one day,” Koichi suggested.

“No,” I shot back. “No beer party. Ever.” My hands sliced the air for emphasis. 

Koichi attempted to get up, but collapsed. “Ugh…Everything is spinning.” He let out a deep yawn.

No shit. I exhaled a breath just thinking about killer hangover that would torture him in the morning. My anger disappeared. I might need to get him some aspirin.

I pulled the pale blue blanket over him. “Just get some sleep,” I spoke gently. “You’re quite a handful when you’re wasted.”

His next response was too incoherent for me to understand. Realizing how confused I must have looked, he gestured for me to come closer.

I sat beside him. “Alright, what is it?”

“You know, Haiji,” he mumbled, doing his best to speak properly despite being in a daze. “For a grumpy guy,” he continued, barely able to sit up, “you’re quite something.” He offered me a wobbly smirk. 

“Uhhh…Thanks?” Was that a compliment or an insult? Regardless, I was too exhausted to determine what emotion to feel.

“Trust me. You’re very…interesting.” He brushed a strand of my hair over my shoulder. Sultry sapphire eyes met my awkward lavender gaze.

All of a sudden I couldn’t breathe. My cheeks burned, bringing back the awkward feelings from earlier.

“What are you doing?” I demanded, moving his hand away from my hair. I was conflicted, confused, and crazy for feeling this way!

“Hey, can’t a guy charm another guy?” A flirtatious tone seeped from his voice. 

My body stiffened. Was he really…? No, this was ridiculous. Shaking my head, I gave him my best stern expression. “Koichi, you’re drunk. You’re not thinking straight. So stop being an idiot and-“

Koichi muffled my words with a kiss. Frozen with shock, I placed a hand on his chest. But I had trouble willing myself to stop him. Part of me told me to break the kiss, but…I couldn’t. He stole my breath away, and all I could do was feel his lips molding with mine, coaxing me to respond.

My eyes clouded as these strange…feelings coursed through me. My eyes fluttered. My heart rate accelerated as the seconds passed. This wasn’t fair. I shouldn’t be this weak and powerless because someone was kissing me. Koichi frequently drove me nuts. He was an oddball I had for a friend, a guy that both amused and angered me, and yet I…I…

No. I couldn’t confess these feelings to myself. Or to him. I tried to end the kiss, but Koichi looped his arms around me. He tangled his fingers in my hair. When he grabbed a handful of it, I knew I was done for.

My eyelids felt like they were made of lead. My throat rumbled with a moan I swallowed in the nick of time. If Koichi didn’t stop, I wouldn’t be able to hang on to my senses. 

No. No, I refused to surrender. I tore my lips away from his, gasping out the overwhelming sensations that nearly swallowed me whole. That was a very close call.

Koichi hummed teasingly. “Holy crap…you’re playing hard to get...”

He passed out before I could tell him he was wrong. Still trembling from the kiss, I left his bedroom. I shut the door and leaned against it, trying to compose myself after that kiss.

I wasn’t in denial. I wasn’t playing hard to get. I wasn’t…

A forceful sigh left my lips. Heat rose to my cheeks as I acknowledged the lingering warmth on my mouth. 

“Fucking hell,” I moaned breathlessly, and closed my eyes. 

Who was I kidding? That kiss was worth giving in to my feelings for Koichi, even if it was for just one night. By tomorrow, he wouldn’t remember any of this.

* * *

I had fallen asleep and woken up in his living room, using a spare blanket to keep myself cozy on his lounge sofa. Although I was awake, I refused to leave the comfort of the sofa.

Koichi’s agonizing groan reached my ears. I opened my eyes and found him sprawled on his couch, clenching his head.

“Good morning.”

“No need to scream,” he whined. 

“You were the one who wanted to celebrate,” I remarked, tossing the blanket aside. “Just relax. I’ll get some coffee ready.”

I sat by the kitchen island while the coffeemaker was running. Everything was back to normal. I’d never felt so relieved in my entire life. I prepared our mugs of coffee, dunking plenty of sugar in mine.

Koichi arrived to the kitchen and took a seat next to me.

“Here.” I handed him his coffee.

“Thanks.” He took a big gulp. “Hoooo man, that’s the stuff.”

I nodded in agreement as I tasted the delectable sweetness of my coffee. 

“Hey, Haiji?” 

“Hmmmmm?” 

“How was the kiss?”

The mug stopped before it touched my lips. Did I just hear him right?! “…What kiss?” I gave it my all to pretend I didn’t know what he meant.

Koichi snickered, drinking his coffee. “I may have been drunk, but I do remember our…intimate moment.”

Shit! I really hoped he wouldn’t remember. “H-Hang on! We never kissed. You’re misremembering.”

“Oh, really…?” 

I fumed in silence at his teasing smile. My cheeks felt warm, and I reluctantly dropped my gaze to his lips. 

“Even if it did happen, it doesn’t mean anything. Koichi, sometimes you drive me insane! You’re such a big goofball, people wonder how we’re even great friends.”

“And?” His smile didn’t vanish. Why did he have to be so damn handsome?

A flood of emotions began to build up. He was enjoying this way too much. When I couldn’t get my voice to function, his brought his lips towards mine. They locked themselves in place. I let out a quiet whimper, still unwilling to just embrace my true feelings. Damn him and his kisses. Damn him for being this calm about my current behavior. Damn him…for…

“Be honest with yourself,” Koichi whispered. “It’s okay. I’ve known for a long time…”

His arms pulled me closer to him. He didn’t stop kissing me. And for the life of me, I didn’t want him to stop. I brushed his lips in return, indulging in their firmness, their patience, their warmth. For the first time, a deep relaxation weakened my body. Feeling more daring, I kissed him like a starving man craving for his love. My left hand found his short pale locks and my fingers wove into them. He had the softest hair...just like me. He hesitated, taken aback by my response, but continued to give me what I wanted. Him.

I released a shuddering breath. Koichi’s lips later peeled away from mine. Amusement shone in his eyes. “Somebody’s giving in to his feelings.”

“Y-Yeah…so what?” I brushed some of my hair off my face.

“Nothing. I just find it cute.” 

I frowned, yet answered in a light tone. “I’m not cute. Are you still drunk?”

“I am. I’m drunk with love.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

 _You and me both._ Our friendship was becoming something more, and the strong desire to see what would follow piqued my curiosity. Maybe I had been too stubborn.

Koichi sighed. “We could hang out so I can make up for last night, but too bad you gotta go to work.”

Work! Checking the time on my watch hanging on my jacket, I realized I had to leave soon. “Shit!” I sprang off the stool and hurried off. “If I’m late, I’m blaming you.”

He just burst into a fit of laughter. “It’s not my fault you were so into the kiss!”

I stopped by the doorway, blushing at him like a dork. He got me there. In the end, I smirked at him before leaving his house. A newfound joy I had never felt before expanded in my heart. A joy that I was going to embrace to the fullest.


End file.
